This invention relates to an improved vehicle, which may be self propelled or a trailer, with ground wheels which raise and lower relative to a frame to allow a bed of the vehicle carrying a load to move upwardly and downwardly between loading and transport positions and to provide a fender for the wheel or wheels mounted on the frame which accommodates the movement of the wheels.
Trailers which allow the wheels to be raised and lowered to lower and raise the trailer bed are well known. In many cases the trailer has no fenders so that the location and arrangement of the fenders is of no question. In other arrangements where a fender is provided, the fender is generally mounted on the same structure which carries the wheels for pivotal movement with the wheels so that the fenders can remain in the same close relationship to the wheel when raised for unloading and when lowered for transport. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,195 of Beilke issued Jul. 17, 1973, U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,825 of Cohen issued Jan. 3, 1978 and 4,711,499 of Fortin issued Dec. 8, 1987.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved vehicle with ground wheels which allow a bed of the vehicle carrying a load to move upwardly and downwardly between loading and transport positions and to provide a fender for the wheel or wheels which is movable to accommodate the movement of the wheels.
According to the invention there is provided a vehicle comprising;
a vehicle structure including a frame;
on each side of the frame there being provided at least one ground wheel with the wheels being attached to the frame by a mounting assembly for supporting the frame for movement across the ground;
each ground wheel being mounted relative to the frame for movement of a wheel axis of the wheel from a first raised position of the wheel axis in which the frame is lowered to a position at or adjacent the ground to a second lowered transport position of the wheel axis in which the frame is raised for transport,
on each side of the frame there being provided at least one fender mounted on the vehicle frame for covering the at least one wheel during transport;
each fender being mounted on the frame such that raising and lowering of the respective wheel causes movement of the wheel relative to the fender;
and each fender including at least a fender portion thereof which is mounted on the frame for pivotal movement relative to the frame to accommodate the movement of the wheels to the raised position.
Preferably the fender portion is mounted for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis to move from a lowered transport position when the wheel is in the transport position thereof upwardly with the wheel when contacted by the wheel.
Preferably the fender includes two fender portions divided at a line above the wheel each of which is mounted for pivotal movement about a respective pivot axis from the transport position.
Preferably the fender portions include a locking device for locking the two fender portions together in the transport position.
Preferably the two fender portions are spring biased into the transport position.
Preferably the two fender portions define a front portion pivotally mounted about an axis located in front of the wheel and a rear portion pivotally mounted about an axis located behind the wheel.
Preferably one or both of the fender portion includes a roller for engaging the wheel.
Preferably the vehicle structure is divided into a front portion and a rear portion, the rear portion being mounted relative to the front portion for forward and rearward sliding movement between a forward position and a rearward position and wherein the fender includes a first fender portion mounted on the front portion and a second fender portion mounted on the rear portion such that the second fender portion is movable with the rear portion to a position spaced away from the wheel to allow the upward movement of the wheel.